Bill Clinton/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Moby plays jazz music on a saxophone alongside a jazzbot that plays multiple instruments. Behind them on stage is a sign that reads "Jazzbot's." Tim watches from offstage as the audience applauds and throws roses. Moby bows and walks over to Tim. TIM: Who taught you how to play like that? MOBY: Beep. Moby holds up a CD of "Bill Clinton's Sax Hits." It shows Bill Clinton playing the saxophone. TIM: Yeah, right. And I'm Al Gore. Moby reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, who is Bill Clinton, and was he President? From, Benjamin. He sure was, Benjamin. An image shows Bill Clinton in the Oval Office. TIM: Besides playing a mean saxophone, William Jefferson Clinton is probably best known as the 42nd President of the United States. He was in office from 1993 to 2001. Though it was a time of peace and prosperity, a series of scandals almost got him kicked out of office. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, it wasn't his first brush with adversity. Clinton was born in Arkansas in 1946, just three months after his father died in a car accident. An image shows Arkansas on a map of the United States. TIM: Even though his family was poor, he still managed to excel as a student and musician. An image shows a young Bill Clinton with a saxophone hanging from his neck. TIM: He decided to enter public service after meeting his hero, President John F. Kennedy. An animation shows a teenage Bill Clinton shaking President John F. Kennedy's hand. TIM: As a young man, he attended Yale Law School, where he met an aspiring lawyer named Hillary Rodham. An image shows Bill Clinton with Hillary Rodham in front of the university. TIM: They got married a few years later. An image shows Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham on their wedding day. TIM: Then came political success: at the young age of thirty-two, Clinton was elected Arkansas' governor. He wound up serving for twelve years, making big changes to the state's economy and education system. An animation shows Bill and Hillary Clinton waving and Bill pumps his fist. TIM: He also forged a reputation as a man of the people, a governor who really seemed to care about the problems of the poor and middle class. An image shows Clinton on a farm talking to farmers. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Of course, not everyone loved him. In fact, some saw his friendly, easygoing manner as, sort of phony. Either way, Clinton was a rising star, and in 1992, the Democratic Party chose him as its candidate for president. An image shows ''Time magazine with a picture of Clinton on the cover. It reads "Is Bill Clinton For Real?"'' TIM: The country was going through a tough recession, or economic slowdown, and the president at the time, George H.W. Bush, got a lot of the blame. An animation shows President George H.W. Bush talking. TIM: So Clinton campaigned on a platform of change, which turned out to be a winning strategy. An animation shows President George H.W. Bush and candidate Bill Clinton at a debate. TIM: His election came at an historical turning point. An animation shows Bill Clinton and his Vice President, Al Gore, waving to the crowd as confetti falls on them. TIM: The Cold War, a decades-long standoff with the Soviet Union, had just ended. As the first president in almost fifty years with no military experience, Clinton seemed to reflect the country's desire to turn inward, and focus on domestic problems, like poverty and healthcare. An image shows a crumbling Berlin Wall. TIM: His administration was filled with people who brought youth and freshness to the White House. An image shows three men and one woman who were part of Clinton's administration. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, his first term had its highs and lows. He passed laws that helped those in need, like one that let parents take time off work to care for sick children. He made it harder for criminals to buy guns, and pushed for a new trade agreement with Canada and Mexico. But two major setbacks damaged Clinton's image as a leader. Congress rejected his plan to reform America's healthcare system, which was one of his key campaign promises. In the background is the word "LAWS." In front of it are three images: the label "FMLA" next to a woman holding her baby, the label "Brady Bill" next to a "no guns" symbol, and the label "NAFTA" next to the flags of Canada and Mexico. TIM: Around the same time, eighteen U.S. soldiers were killed during a mission in the African nation of Somalia. Just halfway through Clinton's term, his chances for re-election seemed pretty slim but he wasn't ready to give up. An animation shows military helicopters flying over Somalia. TIM: He pushed through more laws to improve education, reduce violent crimes, and raise the minimum wage. In the background is the word "LAWS." In front of it are three images: An image of a graduation cap and diploma, a "no guns" symbol, and a sack with a dollar sign on it. TIM: He sent troops into Bosnia in 1995 to enforce a peace treaty. An image shows Bosnia on a map of Europe. TIM: And in 1996, he worked with Republicans to reform the welfare system. Under the old system, the government gave money to the poor; but under the new system, it also helped them find jobs. A split screen image shows a check from the United States Treasury on top, and a job application on the bottom. TIM: With these achievements, Clinton easily won re-election in 1996. An image shows Bill and Hillary Clinton waving in front of a crowd. TIM: In his second term, he signed a law that brought healthcare coverage to millions of children. An image shows a girl with her arm in a sling at a doctor's office. TIM: And he continued to flex American muscle overseas, ordering the bombing of Iraq's illegal weapons programs and sending peacekeeping troops into the war-torn region of Kosovo. Side by side images show a map of Iraq with a bomb over it, and a map of Kosovo with the symbol of the Red Cross above it. TIM: But trouble was brewing behind the scenes. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Back when Clinton was governor of Arkansas, he invested in a real-estate project called Whitewater, and was accused of getting unfair benefits from the deal. During his first term as president, Congress assigned a lawyer named Kenneth Starr to look into the matter. An image shows Kenneth Starr. TIM: Though Whitewater proved to be a dead end, Starr discovered that Clinton had an improper relationship with a young White House employee. An image shows a smiling young woman in the White House. TIM: When asked about the affair in court, Clinton denied the accusation. Republicans in the House of Representatives voted to impeach him, or accuse him of breaking the law. But the Senate found Clinton not guilty. An image shows Clinton in a courtroom with his arm raised being sworn in. TIM: After apologizing to the nation, he was allowed to serve the rest of his term. An image shows Clinton with his head down and Hillary standing behind him. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Well, whatever Clinton's personal flaws, Americans still seemed to trust him as a competent leader. It didn't hurt that the tech industry fueled a major economic boom on his watch. An animation shows computer binary code, a stock exchange ticker, and a line graph climbing upward. TIM: By the end of the second term, unemployment was at an all-time low, and the federal government was enjoying a budget surplus, bringing in more money than it spent. An image shows a chart labeled Unemployment and a line graph going downward. Dollar bills fill in the area under the line graph. The sound of a cash register is heard. TIM: So despite all the scandal, Clinton left office on a high note. Since then, he's continued to build his legacy. He campaigned on behalf of Hillary when she ran for Senate in 2001 and President in 2008. An animation shows Bill Clinton clapping for Hillary Clinton as she stands in front of a cheering crowd. TIM: He led disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Katrina, the Asian tsunami, and the Haitian earthquake. An image shows Clinton helping unload an airplane in Haiti. He hands a Haitian woman a box while talking to a man wearing a shirt that reads, "Haiti Earthquake Relief." TIM: And he started the William J. Clinton Foundation, which tackles worldwide issues like AIDS prevention and global warming. An image shows the logo for the Clinton Foundation. MOBY: Beep. Moby holds the Bill Clinton CD up. Secret service men walk behind Tim. He does not see them. TIM: You expect me to believe that he took time out of his busy sched- Bill Clinton walks up to Tim and Moby. MOBY: Beep. Tim turns around and faces Clinton and salutes. TIM: G-g-good evening, Mr. President. MOBY: Beep. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Social Studies Transcripts